It's Hurdle's turn at bat for Bucs

John Perrotto

Wednesday

Mar 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMMar 30, 2011 at 11:30 PM

Clint Hurdle has been so many different things during his 35 years in professional baseball.

He was a first-round draft pick. He reached the major leagues as a teenager and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following spring. He played in a World Series. He washed out as a major-leaguer, went back to the minor leagues and reinvented himself as a pinch hitter.

He was a minor-league coach and manager. He was a major-league hitting coach. He was a major-league manager. He was in World Series as both a manager and hitting coach, both times with a franchise that never before reached the Fall Classic.

"There are so many impressive things about Clint but what really stands out the most is that he has experienced literally everything you could experience in baseball," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said.

Hurdle will embark on a new experience and perhaps the greatest challenge of his career on Friday afternoon. That is the day he makes his debut as the Pirates' manager when they open the season against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Hurdle will be taking over a franchise that has hit the depths, losing 105 games last year to extend its streak of losing seasons to 18, the longest in major North American professional sports.

Hurdle understands what is in front of him. Some of his closest friends in the game warned him not to take the job. However, Hurdle is excited and intrigued about what is to come.

"I've been blessed to do a lot of things in baseball but something I always thought would be pretty neat would be to have the chance to manage one of the franchises with a lot of history," Hurdle said. "To be able to have that history to draw upon, to know the accomplishments of those who came before you is something I always knew I would embrace."

The Pirates have certainly had their moments during the course of the franchise's 129-year history. They have won five World Series and seven National League pennants. Such greats as Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Paul Waner, Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Barry Bonds wore the uniform.

However, the recent history has been dismal.

Not only have the Pirates been consistent losers since 1993 but they have rarely been competitive. They have not played a meaningful late-season game since 1997 and have lost at least 94 games in each of the last six years.

Hurdle saw that firsthand in recent seasons. He managed Colorado to its first National League pennant in 2007 and was Texas' hitting coach last season when it won its first American League championship.

"I believe you can convince people that things can change," Hurdle said. "I've seen it happen in two organizations in recent years. I believe it can happen here. It's a matter of setting certain standards and getting people to believe. That's what we've been trying to do since November and I have seen a lot of people buying into what we're selling."

The Pirates' players are enamored by Hurdle's sales pitch.

"He gives you a confident feeling when you talk to him," center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "He's upbeat and positive, and you've got to respect what he's done in the game. He just isn't some guy talking."

Hurdle was Kansas City's first-round draft pick in 1975 following his senior year of high school in Merritt Island, Fla. He passed up an academic scholarship to Harvard and a football scholarship to play quarterback at Miami (Fla.) to sign with the Royals.

Two years later, Hurdle made his debut as an outfielder with the Royals, was on the SI cover in March, 1978 while being billed as baseball's next phenom then appeared in the 1980 World Series when Kansas City lost to Philadelphia.

Yet Hurdle never became a star, admittedly succumbing to the trappings of early fame and partying hard at an early age. His best season came in ‘80 when he hit .294 with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs in 130 games.

Kansas City traded Hurdle to Cincinnati following the 1981 season and he played out his career as a journeyman, bouncing to the New York Mets and St. Louis before his career ended in 1987.

Despite his failings as a player, Hurdle wanted to stay in the game. He managed in the Mets' farm system for six seasons from 1988-93 then spent 16 seasons in the Rockies' organization as their minor-league hitting coordinator (1994-96) and major-league hitting coach (1997-2002) before succeeding Buddy Bell as manager early in the 2002 season.

Hurdle compiled a 534-625 record and had only one winning season but it was quite the year as the Rockies put on a late-season rally to reach the postseason in ‘07 before being swept by Boston in the World Series.

Less than two years later, Hurdle was fired and replaced by bench coach Jim Tracy. Hurdle is now replacing the man who replaced Tracy as the Pirates' manager, John Russell.

Hurdle left his mark on the Rangers in a short period of time.

"He just has so much energy," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He keeps everybody upbeat. He's the perfect guy to go into a situation like Pittsburgh's and get it turned around. He has a real knack for getting the best out of people."

Hurdle will need to muster all the energy he can to turn around a franchise stuck in reverse for nearly two decades. He insists he won't back down from the challenge.

"After I got fired in Colorado, I didn't feel like I had to manage again to validate myself and I'm doing this because I need a paycheck," Hurdle said. "I want to be here. I want to make an impact. I want to be part of getting this thing turned around.

"I know some people laugh and say it can't be done. My response is, ‘Why not? Why can't the Pittsburgh Pirates win?' We're going to get it done here, and when we do, it's going to be one heckuva story."

John Perrotto is the national writer for BaseballProspectus.com

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